What's Looking Good In February

Now that we are in February and things are brightening up I thought I would wander round the garden with the camera. Of course, some of these are normal winter flowering plants and have been going for some time.



Sarcoccoca - a wonderful scent in the evenings







We transplanted this skimmia in the autumn and it seems to love where it is





Apart from the winter hellebores that always brighten the garden up in the winter



Some of the spring hellebores are starting to bloom







And the snowdrops are starting to show. We have many thousand of them which we split two seasons ago and they are starting to take hold very well. Some varieties are flowering whereas others will come in a few week's time





This tall variety is already 12" high





Hebes are giving some warmth as well







The white heathers are also starting to flower





The wych hazel is showing a good colour now and I'm tidying the edges of the lawns







I marked this out in December to show where I wanted to make a wider bed






And this is now done and compost dug in





This iris has now been flowering for at least three months





Although some people don't like arum italicum this variegated variety is always welcome in our garden. We have a couple of clumps about 15 sq ft each and they brighten up a shady part of the garden





The camra battery ran out whilst I was taking the photos :DOH:. I'll take more when I get time.

 

Peter, it's Iris stylosa and is as tough as old boots. Its flowers stay alive under the snow and it doesn't need feeding (never fed it or added compost in 35 years) and we don't water it during drought. We don't split it or do anything at all to it. We just say 'thank you' to it each year.

 

Peter, it was flowering in October!!!

 

Thanks to your great photo's I was able to take a walk around your garden and feel really cheered up from all the colour. Congratulations on a really great garden! I've just got back in from a bit of weeding and tidying
up in mine as the weather today has been beautiful, loads of sunshine and temperatures of 63 degrees plus.My garden is mainly focused on herbaceous borders so the only splashes of colour are the snowdrops, primroses and the green shoots of this year's borders. Your Skimmia looks very happy so I take it your soil leans towards the acid side? Again, thanks for the photo's.

 

Vikky, lovely bright and cheerful colours

ARMANDII, thanks for your comments. Our soil isn't acid. We're on heavy clay with loads of home made compost dug in. The secret is talking nicely to the plants.

may, they should spread very quickly :thumb:

strongy, we have the purple and blues ones (I think they are reticulata). They have just started to come out. I should have cleared some of the dead leaves away before taking the photo





The stylosa and now also starting to wake up properly.




These hellebores were hiding amongst the snowdrops.




and Hellebore Corsicus has just opened



There wasn't enough sun to get some of the flowers open when I took the photos






But some of the regulars are starting to show colour







even the pulmonaria is waking up



and in our wild, shady area the periwinkle is also waking up.




We have also planted some of the new bed that I showed above